Your old electronic equipment can be recycled

Published: Monday, July 11, 2005 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, July 11, 2005 at 12:00 a.m.

Last month in this column, I requested that people start storing away old electronic items that don't work anymore. Today I'm reminding you that soon you'll be able to take those items out of storage for recycling. From 10 a. m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at the old Water Department building on Fourth Avenue East in downtown Hendersonville, there will be a special one-day collection event open to the public and others in the county to dispose of unwanted electronic equipment at no charge.

Items accepted for recycling include computers, monitors, keyboards, modems, printers, cables, as well as televisions, stereo equipment, phones and cell phones, fax machines, answering machines, copiers, VCRs, camcorders and other electronics. The old Water Department building is on Fourth Avenue East between Grove Street and Pine Street, adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Businesses, schools and other organizations wanting to dispose of larger loads of equipment should phone Gary Tweed, Henderson County engineer, at 698-5115, or Gary Corn, Henderson County Solid Waste, at 697-4505. Please phone in advance to inquire about large load delivery. Larger loads are allowed, but heavy equipment will be needed to help with unloading.

All such electronic equipment will be accepted free of charge during this one-time event. The recycling agent is a mass-quantity recycling vendor -- hard drives are shredded.

Some folks have asked what happens to these items. I have spoken with Joe Clayton, owner of Synergy Inc., the Greensboro-based company that will do the recycling. He said the materials are broken down and refashioned into new items in an environmentally conscious way. He wants to show that recycling is a profitable business. Plus, it's a great way for consumers to get rid of these items with a clear conscience. Synergy Inc. works with local companies year round. He has participated in similar recycling events in Buncombe, Transylvania and surrounding counties.

Computers and other electronic equipment contain potentially toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, that can pollute the soil, air, or water if they are not recycled. This event presents an excellent opportunity to get rid of unwanted electronic items without contaminating the landfill.

Another company phoned me recently to report that it takes usable old computers, fixes them up, and sells them at reduced prices to disabled people. Western Alliance Center for Independent Living is a nonprofit organization that provides services by and for persons with all types of disabilities.

In conjunction with Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN), which provides internet access to disabled people at a reduced cost, the Western Alliance operates CyberPals, an online support network for the disabled. Contact Mechelle Holt at 274-0444 or at mholt@westernalliance.org to discuss donating your usable computers, peripherals, and software.

The electronics recycling day in Henderson County is a one-time event sponsored in part by a $3,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service through the Land-of-Sky Regional Council. Members of the Environmental and Conservation Organization are working in conjunction with the Henderson County Solid Waste Department and the Henderson County Solid Waste Advisory Committee to organize this recycling event. We have a number of volunteers lined up to help with traffic management and unloading vehicles that day. Echo Data, a computer company, has donated money to pay for refreshments for volunteers that day. For additional information, contact Tweed at 698-5115, Corn at 697-4505, or ECO at 692-0385.

ECO Notes is provided by the Environmental and Conservation Organization, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clean air, clean water, recreation, and the conservation and preservation of the natural heritage and resources of the mountain region.

<p>Last month in this column, I requested that people start storing away old electronic items that don't work anymore. Today I'm reminding you that soon you'll be able to take those items out of storage for recycling. From 10 a. m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at the old Water Department building on Fourth Avenue East in downtown Hendersonville, there will be a special one-day collection event open to the public and others in the county to dispose of unwanted electronic equipment at no charge.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Items accepted for recycling include computers, monitors, keyboards, modems, printers, cables, as well as televisions, stereo equipment, phones and cell phones, fax machines, answering machines, copiers, VCRs, camcorders and other electronics. The old Water Department building is on Fourth Avenue East between Grove Street and Pine Street, adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Park.</p><p>Businesses, schools and other organizations wanting to dispose of larger loads of equipment should phone Gary Tweed, Henderson County engineer, at 698-5115, or Gary Corn, Henderson County Solid Waste, at 697-4505. Please phone in advance to inquire about large load delivery. Larger loads are allowed, but heavy equipment will be needed to help with unloading.</p><p>All such electronic equipment will be accepted free of charge during this one-time event. The recycling agent is a mass-quantity recycling vendor -- hard drives are shredded.</p><p>Some folks have asked what happens to these items. I have spoken with Joe Clayton, owner of Synergy Inc., the Greensboro-based company that will do the recycling. He said the materials are broken down and refashioned into new items in an environmentally conscious way. He wants to show that recycling is a profitable business. Plus, it's a great way for consumers to get rid of these items with a clear conscience. Synergy Inc. works with local companies year round. He has participated in similar recycling events in Buncombe, Transylvania and surrounding counties.</p><p>Computers and other electronic equipment contain potentially toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, that can pollute the soil, air, or water if they are not recycled. This event presents an excellent opportunity to get rid of unwanted electronic items without contaminating the landfill.</p><p>Another company phoned me recently to report that it takes usable old computers, fixes them up, and sells them at reduced prices to disabled people. Western Alliance Center for Independent Living is a nonprofit organization that provides services by and for persons with all types of disabilities.</p><p>In conjunction with Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN), which provides internet access to disabled people at a reduced cost, the Western Alliance operates CyberPals, an online support network for the disabled. Contact Mechelle Holt at 274-0444 or at mholt@westernalliance.org to discuss donating your usable computers, peripherals, and software.</p><p>The electronics recycling day in Henderson County is a one-time event sponsored in part by a $3,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service through the Land-of-Sky Regional Council. Members of the Environmental and Conservation Organization are working in conjunction with the Henderson County Solid Waste Department and the Henderson County Solid Waste Advisory Committee to organize this recycling event. We have a number of volunteers lined up to help with traffic management and unloading vehicles that day. Echo Data, a computer company, has donated money to pay for refreshments for volunteers that day. For additional information, contact Tweed at 698-5115, Corn at 697-4505, or ECO at 692-0385.</p><p>ECO Notes is provided by the Environmental and Conservation Organization, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clean air, clean water, recreation, and the conservation and preservation of the natural heritage and resources of the mountain region.</p>